Pages

Monday, August 27, 2012

10 facts about the Diamondbacks series

After a brief 3-game homestand over the weekend, the Reds (77-52) hit the road for a 3-game tilt against the Arizona Diamonbacks (64-64) beginning Monday night.

Cincy continues to thrive in Joey Votto's (left knee) absence having gone 27-14 since he hit the disabled list on July 16th. They have also managed to build their division lead from one game to six during that span.

Meanwhile, the D'backs enter the week still very much alive for a potential playoff spot. They enter Monday seven games back in the NL West and 6.5 games off the pace in the NL Wild Card. However, Kirk Gibson's club has lost five of their last seven and are in desperate need of a winning series.

Here are 10 facts you need to know about the series at Chase Field:
1. Both Monday and Tuesday's games are set to begin at 9:40et while Wednesday's is slated for 3:40et.

3. Cincy's 30-14 record since the All-Star break and 42 wins at home are both the best in the majors.

4. Arroyo has fared well in his five career starts at Chase Field. He is 3-1 with a 3.24 ERA. Additionally, he leads all National League pitchers in starts (226) and innings pitched (1,444) since being acquired by the Reds in 2006.

5. Latos has also done well in his lifetime starts (3) at Chase Field. He is 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA and 1.053 WHIP. He sports a 3.41 ERA in five career starts against them overall.

6. Cincinnati is the only team in MLB to start a right-handed pitcher in every game this season. That trend will likely continue in Arizona.

7. The Diamondbacks are just 10-18 in games decided by one run this year while Cincy is 22-18.

8. Both rank among the top five defensive teams in the NL with respect to fewest errors committed and fielding percentage.

9. The series will feature three players who are being heavily considered for NL Rookie of the Year honors: Arizona's Wade Miley, who leads all rookies in wins, ERA, and strikeouts (109), Cincy's Zack Cozart, who leads all rookies in hits (123) and is second in doubles (123) and runs (66), and Cincy's Todd Frazier, who leads all rookies in OPS (.910), SLG (.555) and RBI (60), and is second in homers (18) and OBP (.355). All three are likley to finish in the top four, in my opinion.

10. The Reds lead the all-time series versus Arizona, 52-47. The Reds are 2-2 in 2012 and 26-20 all-time at Chase Field.